Find the fulcrum for a transformative capability using coordinates.
For soldiers, coordinates are the premise and basis for all actions.
At an army training base, there is a type of coordinate that leaves a deep impression on the soldiers who come here for training—the location of the target during artillery firing.
Year after year, batches of officers and soldiers come here, using these coordinates as the "origin" to complete the calculation of parameters, prepare for firing, and complete the firing. The officers and soldiers who are expected to deliver the "critical shot" will discuss their success or failure and evaluate their gains and losses on these coordinates.
Therefore, this type of coordinate system holds significant weight in the minds of officers and soldiers. These coordinate systems also bear witness to the growth and transformative abilities of many officers and soldiers.
Qian Yilin, a gunner in an army brigade, has a habit of going to the bomb sites after each live-fire exercise to check them out. Standing on those coordinates, he always feels a mix of emotions: the tension and worry of participating in his first live-fire exercise, the joy of hitting the target for the first time, and the sense of accomplishment of achieving a ranking in his first live-fire assessment…
As special "nerve endings" and "precision sources" of firepower units, Qian Yilin and his comrades have deeply felt that with the increasing informatization and intelligence of modern warfare, the coordinates they "focus" on are no longer just isolated points on the ground, but a key link in the information flow of modern warfare.
Today, the coordinates are also quietly "changing face". Looking at the future battlefield through these changes, what we feel is not only the dimension of the improvement of the individual quality of the participating officers and soldiers, but also the dimension of the era of the evolution of modern warfare.
From "region" to "location" --
The meaning of precision has been given a new expression.
Inside the observation post, a commander put down his high-powered binoculars and tapped a repeatedly marked red area on the map with his finger: "Target, unnamed hill in the southeast, launch a fire strike on the 'enemy' firing point!"
The command traveled rapidly along the data link. Using the new artillery's automatic firing mode, gunner Qian Yilin input the coordinates, adjusted the aiming button, and pressed it once, causing the cannon barrel to automatically point towards the target.
A moment later, a muffled thunderous echo came from the distant mountains, and a plume of dust rose into the air. Qian Yilin hit the target with an accuracy down to the meter level.
"The informatization of equipment has given a new meaning to precision." Gunner Li Guangyue came here to participate in training more than 10 years ago, and compared with before, he has a deeper understanding.
At that time, they were using a certain type of howitzer, and the artillery firepower at that time emphasized "area coverage and saturation delivery".
In a training exercise, the superiors ordered the destruction of one of the Blue Team's command posts. Red Team scouts advanced, repeatedly observing with instruments and marking the coordinates on a map. However, the first salvo resulted in scattered, sparse impacts around the coordinates…
"Back then, our 'eyes' weren't sharp enough, and our 'rulers' weren't accurate enough," Li Guangyue recalled. Weather conditions, barrel wear, and even slight differences in the propellant charge of each shell could cause the impact point to deviate.
In recent years, with the successive deployment of new self-propelled artillery, new fire control systems, reconnaissance and fire correction radars, and the supporting command information system connecting all combat elements, "precision" has gradually become a frequently used word on the training ground.
Inside the base's command hall, on the evaluation system screen in front of engineer Zhang Hongzan, the coordinates of the artillery firing area's explosion points were clearly displayed. "In the past, from the discovery of the target to the landing of the shell, it required multiple steps such as observation, geodesy, map work, and command transmission, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive," Zhang Hongzan told reporters. "Now, with the development of information technology, this cycle can be compressed to tens of seconds, or even shorter."
Once the position of a coordinate is determined, the positions of other coordinates relative to this coordinate have a clear direction.
Shen Qing, a member of the base's comprehensive assessment team, has participated in numerous red-blue force-on-force exercises. He tracks the entire training process and scores the performance of the participating officers and soldiers. In recent years, the scoring categories in Shen Qing's assessment scoring sheet have also undergone a "refined change."
Take Qian Yilin's performance during the assessment as an example. The scoring category of "strike method" alone was further subdivided into three more refined categories: "coordinated strike, guided strike, and autonomous strike."
In this assessment sheet with a maximum score of 1000, the scores are assigned to two decimal places with precision.
Shen Qing likened this "meticulous assessment" to a "capability tree." Each specific scoring category is like a leaf on the tree, and only by gathering many leaves together can the individual "capability tree" of the trainees flourish.
The same coordinates, but in different eras, bring many changes and constants.
By reviewing the base's database, they have summarized their combat experience over the years and innovatively proposed a six-step training model for exercises: "immediate combat readiness mobilization - online command and confrontation - live-fire simulated combat - live-fire tactical testing - debriefing and reflection - capability improvement and acceptance." This has led to a new path for transforming tactical research results into the actual combat capabilities of the troops.
Above all else, their commitment to honing their ability to win on future battlefields remains unchanged—not long ago, a red-blue force-on-force exercise was held at the base. These realistic combat scenarios honed the skills of the participating officers and soldiers, forcing a shift in the model of combat capability generation.
"Ultimately, we need to teach officers and soldiers how to fight on the future battlefield," said Liu Hu, a professor at the Army Engineering University, who was invited to serve as a judge for an exercise at the base.
From "Single" to "System" --
The precision of the coordinates is the depth of the union.
Not long ago, the base organized an exercise under the scenario of joint operations.
When the coordinates of the artillery firing range's detonation points are considered within the context of this system-on-system confrontation, the static coordinates become dynamic coordinates within the combat system.
One drone after another takes off and hovers in the sky... If you look at the artillery firing range from the drone's perspective, you'll find that drone pilots not only need to determine the coordinates of the bombing point, but also plan a feasible path to the target and analyze the drone's relative position in the system warfare.
The shift from "single coordinates" to "systematic coordinates" signifies an upgrade in cognitive approach, moving from an isolated, static, and fragmented perspective to a connected, dynamic, and systematic one.
In a joint exercise, an artillery unit of a brigade coordinated with army aviation and air force to strike a target.
Artillery first used shells to "mark up" the area's air defense nodes, clearing a path for air power; drones continuously monitored the area, distributing the dynamic coordinates of any remaining moving targets to armed helicopters in real time; and artillery then conducted supplementary strikes based on damage assessments. Each force worked in close coordination, achieving surgical precision in targeting the targets.
The precision of the coordinates determines the depth of the joint operations. When the error in the provided bomb point coordinates is measured in meters, different units can complement each other's firepower, seamlessly connect, and work together as a unified force.
That day, as dusk fell, another round of live-fire exercises began.
The shell bursts from the muzzle, flying along a carefully calculated and verified arc towards the precise coordinates that have been "locked" into the data world. There, the strike will "bloom" in the smallest possible range and in the most controllable form.
In recent years, an increasing number of military branches have voluntarily requested to participate in exercises at this base. Environment setup, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) analysis, situation positioning… In the command and control system, the performance of each branch is represented by alternating bar charts and pie charts, resembling clear report cards written with different colored pens, collectively submitting a "systematic" answer sheet on the same training ground.
"When multiple units from different branches of the armed forces come together at the base for training, what we need to think about is no longer the tactics of a single branch of the armed forces, but how to use deeper logic and design to guide more units to master the skills to win in the future," said director Chen Zijun.
Chen Zijun sensed the rapid changes at the training base and often felt a sense of inadequacy. "We must work ahead of the troops and pool our wisdom to tackle some problems in advance." Chen Zijun likened the relationship between the base and the participating troops to "the relationship between teachers and students in a classroom."
To ensure that the "lesson plan" was prepared more thoroughly, the base required each instructor to work overtime to "recharge" themselves, from several departments of a single service to dozens of specialties of multiple services. "All of these must be learned, studied, and understood to understand how the form and appearance of warfare have changed."
From "one-dimensional" to "multi-dimensional"
Understanding the meaning of coordinates depends on which coordinate system you are thinking from.
During his visit to the Huaihai Campaign Memorial Hall, Zhang Hongzan vividly recalled one particular detail while looking at the battle situation map displayed in the exhibition hall.
On the situation map, blue arrows and red defensive lines intertwine, but there are few elevation markings. "Back then, capturing high ground mainly relied on the experience of commanders," the museum guide explained. On one occasion, the map showed a straight-line distance of 5 kilometers, but the troops actually climbed three hills and spent most of the day on the move.
In contrast, today, in the base's director's hall, Zhang Hongzan's fingertip swiped across the screen, displaying a three-dimensional terrain model with precise coordinates such as latitude, longitude, and altitude of the "enemy" positions marked next to it.
On the screen, the red and blue training troops were shown with semi-transparent "tracks" extending along the timeline, their tracks sometimes intersecting and sometimes diverging. "We can trace the movement trajectory of any unit within one hour," Zhang Hongzan said, pointing to the screen.
If one-dimensional coordinates in the Huaihai Campaign decades ago could only indicate a general location, then today's three-dimensional terrain models, with their multi-dimensional grids of longitude, latitude, and altitude, give each coordinate point a unique "identity card".
In the future battlefield of multidimensional warfare, single-dimensional coordinates cannot describe the complex battlefield environment.
In long-range artillery equipment, coordinates are the core of achieving "detect and destroy". A set of coordinates used for fire strikes is not just a point on a map, but also includes a series of key data such as the target's spatial location and movement status.
In air defense drills, the coordinates of air defense weapon strikes must be closely linked to time—based on the target's current coordinates and a series of past coordinate points, information such as the target's velocity and acceleration is calculated to predict the target's future position.
As the dimensions of coordinates increase, the coordinate axis of combat capability is also constantly extending.
Not long ago, a red-blue force-on-force training exercise was launched. Inside the base's command hall, signal dots representing each unit flashed and moved on a large screen that integrated geographical information, real-time reconnaissance positions, and other dimensions of information.
Immersed in a multidimensional coordinate system, gunner Li Guangyue deeply felt that he was not a solitary individual, but rather an active point of light in a vast network.
The meaning of a coordinate depends on which coordinate system you are thinking from.
According to Su, deputy director of the base's guidance and evaluation center, when different test questions are arranged and combined in a multi-dimensional coordinate system, training design is no longer a simple superposition scheme. It should also keep pace with the times and study new solutions to win in the future battlefield.
In one instance, to test the Red Force's ability to coordinate operations with unmanned equipment, the directing department conducted an impromptu exercise, creating a new scenario for the Red Force. After the exercise, the Red Force's ability to coordinate manned and unmanned equipment was honed, and they gained new insights into how to more efficiently cooperate with unmanned equipment in future operations.
The shift from one-dimensional to multi-dimensional coordinates represents an extension of the combat capability coordinate axis, and more importantly, it reflects the commanders' and soldiers' thinking and exploration of how to win on the future battlefield.
Within this coordinate system, we can see the changing trajectory of the red-blue force-on-force exercises, and witness the base's continuous pursuit of realistic combat training at different stages.
Looking back more than a decade ago, the base undertook cross-regional base-based exercises, with multiple combat units maneuvering long distances and marching continuously day and night. The troops struggled to move forward in torrential rain and muddy roads, and the officers and soldiers adapted to the battlefield in difficult and dangerous situations. At that time, "Red loses, Blue wins" was a frequently used phrase during that training phase.
Today, cross-regional base training has become the norm for the Army. Troops are no longer fixated on whether "red loses and blue wins" or "red wins and blue loses." The bases fully utilize their role as whetstones, providing each participating unit with a detailed assessment report card to help them evaluate and review their performance, ensuring thorough capability testing and accurate assessment of their combat effectiveness.
"Finding the right coordinates is to find the right direction. Faced with the ever-changing battlefield demands, the base will continuously update the 'Blue Force Question Bank,' prompting participating troops to develop new solutions to test questions and improving their ability to understand modern warfare," said the base's leader.
(Text written by: Cheng Xue, Guo Shuangfei, Peng Xuan, Chen Xiang, PLA Daily)
